Conflicted or close: Which relationships to the deceased are associated with loss-related psychopathology?

Prior studies have shown that pre-loss closeness and conflict with a deceased person are associated with the severity of symptoms of prolonged grief and/or depression. Nevertheless, mechanisms underlying these relationships are not well understood. We propose a theoretical model in which past closeness and conflict are related to prolonged grief and depression via concrete and symbolic continuing bonds (CB). The aim of our study was to test this model in a sample of bereaved family members.

Individuals (N = 244) who had lost a family member from 0.5 to 8.0 years before the survey completed the Quality of Relationships Inventory-Bereavement Version, the Continuing Bonds Scale, the Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.

The findings partially confirmed our model. Closeness was positively and moderately associated with symptoms of prolonged grief but not with symptoms of depression. Conflict was positively and weakly associated with symptoms of depression and prolonged grief. All of these relationships were only partially mediated by concrete/maladaptive and symbolic/adaptive CB.

The differences in the relationship of past closeness and conflict to prolonged grief and depression symptoms suggest that inter- and intrapersonal mechanisms of prolonged grief and depressive symptoms may be distinct. If future, especially longitudinal studies, confirm our model, CB would be a possible target for interventions for bereaved persons who had a close and/or conflicted relationship with a deceased family member and experience loss-related psychopathology.

Continuing bonds (CB) are a potential target of interventions for bereaved persons who had a close and/or conflicted relationship with a deceased family member and experience symptoms of prolonged grief and/or depression. Internalization of the capacity to care for yourself and feel autonomous in a safe and stable therapeutic relationship may lead to increased self-confidence, promote working through past experiences in the relationship with the deceased, and gradual reduction of concrete forms of CB. Increasing awareness and acceptance of emotional experiences may contribute to the appreciation of past relationship with a deceased person and the growth of symbolic forms of CB. Future research should focus on verifying the effectiveness of the attachment-informed therapeutic approach to working with CB.